Sen. Alfonse D'Amato's approval rating stands at 46 - 43 percent among New York State
voters, but he still trails potential Democratic challenger Geraldine Ferraro 52 - 38 percent
in his 1998 reelection bid, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today.

D'Amato's approval rating, a statistical tie, has been edging up since a low of 33 - 58
percent in a June 20, 1996, poll by the independent Quinnipiac College.

If the 1998 Senate election were held today, New York City Public Advocate Mark Green
would edge out D'Amato 46 - 41 percent. D'Amato would squeak by another possible
Democratic challenger, Brooklyn Congressman Charles Schumer, 45 - 40 percent.

Ferraro leads the pack in a possible Democratic primary with 48 percent, followed by
Green with 25 percent and Schumer with 12 percent.

"Talk about timing: As he enters his reelection year, Sen. D'Amato squeaks by with his
first positive job approval rating since 1994," said Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac
College Polling Institute. "The numbers show D'Amato edging out Rep. Charles Schumer; losing
narrowly to Public Advocate Mark Green, and losing big to Geraldine Ferraro.

"No doubt, part of what we see here is name recognition. Even so, Ferraro holds a
handsome lead among the three Democrats considering a run against D'Amato."

D'Amato's favorability also has bounced back, to 35 - 36 percent, with 23 percent mixed
and 6 percent who say they haven't heard enough to form an opinion. Among possible
Democratic challengers, ratings are:

New York voters oppose, 58 - 36 percent, the idea of giving public school teachers tenure.
By a 67 - 28 percent margin, they oppose giving public school principals tenure.

A total of 63 percent find "very convincing" or "somewhat convincing" the argument that
tenure makes teachers less accountable. A total of 45 percent find "very convincing" or
"somewhat convincing" the case that tenure allows teachers more independence and creativity.

By a 73 - 23 percent margin, voters support the idea of merit pay for teachers who do an
outstanding job.

Given three options on the issue of school choice:

40 percent of voters support a voucher system, where parents get a publicly funded voucher to
send their child to the public or private school of their choice;

36 percent say parents should be allowed to choose any public school in their school district;

22 percent say parents should send their children to the public school assigned by their local
school board.

By a 46 - 39 percent margin, with 16 percent undecided, New York voters believe
teachers' unions play a positive, rather than negative role in improving education.

"New Yorkers still like teachers' unions, but on the two issues where Sen. D'Amato has
hammered them -- teacher tenure and merit pay -- D'Amato's on the winning side," Carroll said.
"A total of 76 percent of voters want some form of school choice, with the biggest group opting
for vouchers and the option of sending their kids to private schools."

From December 2 - 8, Quinnipiac College surveyed 1,048 New Yorkers who say they are
registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. The Quinnipiac College Poll,
directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut as a public service and for research.

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Alfonse D'Amato is handling his
job as United States Senator?

43. How would you rate the quality of the public schools in your community?
Very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very good 29% 35% 9% 43% 33% 27% 27%

Fairly good 45 48 43 43 47 41 49

Fairly bad 16 10 29 9 12 21 14

Very bad 6 4 12 4 5 7 6

DK/NA 4 3 7 2 4 4 4

44. How would you rate the physical condition of the public schools in your
community? Very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very good 35% 43% 11% 49% 40% 31% 35%

Fairly good 43 45 43 40 43 42 43

Fairly bad 13 7 25 7 10 17 11

Very bad 5 3 11 1 2 6 7

DK/NA 5 2 9 2 4 4 5

45. Do you have any children under the age of 18?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Yes 35% 34% 31% 43% 39% 34% 34%

No 65 66 69 57 60 66 66

46.(If yes) Do you have children who attend public school?

Have children under 18
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Yes 70% 74% 58% 74% 64% 70% 77%

No 30 26 42 26 36 30 23

47. (If have children in public school) How would you rate the quality of the
teachers in the public schools in your community?
Very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad?

Have children in public school

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind
Very good 50% 46% 42% 60% 49% 48% 54%

Fairly good 44 50 46 35 41 49 40

Fairly bad 4 3 6 5 7 1 4

Very bad 1 - 6 - 2 1 1

48. Generally speaking, do you believe the teachers' unions are playing a
positive or a negative role in improving New York State's educational system?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Positive role 46% 40% 53% 45% 37% 60% 40%

Negative role 39 44 31 39 52 25 41

DK/NA 16 16 16 15 11 15 18

49. Do you favor or oppose granting public school principals tenure, that is
guaranteeing principals a job after they have worked a certain number of
years?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Favor 28% 21% 38% 28% 23% 35% 25%

Oppose 67 75 55 69 75 59 69

DK/NA 5 4 8 2 2 6 6

50. Do you favor or oppose granting public school teachers tenure?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Favor 36% 28% 45% 36% 28% 45% 33%

Oppose 58 67 47 59 68 48 61

DK/NA 6 5 8 4 4 6 6

51. Some people say that teachers who have tenure are no longer accountable
for the education that they provide. How convincing do you find this
argument against tenure for public school teachers?
Very convincing, somewhat convincing, not very convincing, or not convincing
at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very conv. 27% 31% 21% 28% 34% 18% 28%

Smwht conv. 36 36 38 35 35 40 36

Not very conv. 18 16 20 18 14 22 16

Not conv. at all 16 14 17 18 15 17 16

DK/NA 3 3 5 2 3 3 3

52. Some people say that the job security that tenure provides allows public
school teachers to be more independent and creative in the classroom. How
convincing do you find this argument in favor of tenure? Very convincing,
somewhat convincing, not very convincing, or not convincing at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very conv. 13% 10% 13% 18% 12% 14% 14%

Smwht conv. 32 31 37 27 28 38 29

Not very conv. 27 28 20 33 26 26 28

Not conv. at all 25 28 24 20 31 18 25

DK/NA 3 3 6 2 2 3 4

53. Some people say that public school teachers who do an outstanding job
should be rewarded with additional pay - so called merit pay. Do you think
this is a good idea or a bad idea?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Good idea 73% 71% 76% 74% 75% 71% 74%

Bad idea 23 26 19 23 22 25 23

DK/NA 4 3 5 3 3 3 4

54. Some people say that merit pay would improve the quality of teaching by
rewarding excellence. How convincing do you find this argument in favor of
merit pay? Very convincing, somewhat convincing, not very convincing, or not
convincing at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind
Very conv. 41% 39% 44% 41% 42% 41% 41%

Smwht conv. 33 34 31 35 35 30 35

Not very conv. 12 12 13 10 11 14 9

Not conv. at all 12 15 9 12 10 15 12

DK/NA 2 1 3 2 1 1 3

55. Some people say that it would be so difficult to objectively measure a
teacher's performance that merit pay might not be awarded fairly. How
convincing do you find this argument against merit pay?
Very convincing, somewhat convincing, not very convincing, or not
convincing at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very conv. 21% 23% 20% 19% 20% 21% 22%

Smwht conv. 34 36 30 36 33 34 36

Not very conv. 26 25 28 25 29 27 25

Not conv. at all 16 13 18 18 15 17 14

DK/NA 2 2 3 2 3 2 3

56. Now I'm going to read three statements about education. Please tell me
which comes closer to your own view.

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind
A. Parents should continue
to send their childen to
the public school assigned
by their local school
board. 22% 26% 13% 29% 28% 14% 27%

B. Parents should be able
to choose to send their
children to any public
school in their district. 36 37 40 30 32 43 32

C. Parents should receive
vouchers, funded by public
education money, to send
their children to the
school of their choice
whether public or private. 40 34 47 40 39 42 38